From what I can tell, this is a controversial topic all over the internet.

For the most part, I'd say maybe 95% of what I've found online regarding alcohol & Lyme Disease is that a glass of wine here & there is not harmful at all.

BUT THEN - in the real world - I have fellow Lymies & my own doctor saying that alcohol must be shut out completely as it is the only thing that crosses the blood-brain barrier & because it contains sugar (which Lyme bacteria loves) this means the bacteria take a free ride up to the brain and begin causing damage up there, because the bacteria also happens to love brain tissue.

Actually, that detailed description was given to me by my fellow Lymie... My doctor gave no reason & just said, "Cut it out completely!"

As I understand it has a lot more to do with alcohol intolerance and already feeling like we have a hangover without having had any of the fun!

It depends on what kind of alcohol you are using as to whether or not it has enough sugar in it to be wary of. Sugar is something that we need to avoid - mainly for the control of the yeast in our bodies.

I just spent a couple of hours in a drs waiting room and I'm a little foggy now, so I could be wrong here, any other opinions would be welcome!!!Co-Moderator, Lyme Disease ;)

Treating with Acupuncture, Traditional & Modern Chinese Medicine & Western Herbs. Before tx, I had all but 20 of the symptoms on the "Master Symptom List"

I'm allergic to Flagyl.. and most other antibiotics.. which, I guess, is why I can't take them for Lyme.

I know the hangovers you're talking about.. I had that twice back in the winter. Usually, though, it actually makes me feel BETTER (even the next day!) because I occasionally get on this really horrible edge that seems to be filled with panic, frustration, and irritability. So whenever that happens, I have a glass of wine and I feel great!

Hmm.. I just wonder if there is any scientific evidence out there to back up what my Lymie friend here was telling me about alcohol causing the Lyme to eat away the brain tissue... hmm.

Yeah I tried the drunk thing it doesn't work! LOL Wish it did though! But it is my understanding that alcohol is to be avoided all together just as much as sugar because, as was said, it helps keep the Lyme alive and actually thriving better. To me its not worth it. That one glass of wine would not be worth it. I agree, we have enough no need to mix it with the alcohol.

Alcohol is also hard on the liver and not a good idea to stress the liver while trying to heal the body. I for one had no problem giving it up. Was not a big drinker and cannot tolerate drunks anyways. LOL.Co-ModeratorLyme, HME, HGE, bartonella. 4+ years undiag. despite 10 drs. Current meds: roxythyromycin, bactrim, doryx, amanatadine, neurontin, cymbalta Prior meds: amox, minocycline, tetracy. IV refused by ins. Supplements: boluoke, alpha lipoic acid, AG immune, magnesium, milk thistle, resistant microbes

I haven't had any trouble giving it up, either. I did have a glass of wine after a tree smashed down on our house while we were sleeping. If it had been a foot closer to us, we could've died. It was a traumatizing way to wake up. We had to break through a window to escape. That was 1 month and 1 day ago. I felt like I deserved it. I didn't even drink the whole glass. Maybe just half of a small glass. It had to happen. Since then, I had one small glass when I was feeling angry/frustrated/irritable and I had to go help film a local indie flick where I needed to be in a better mood. It worked wonders & just like the morning after the tree crash, I felt great. No hangover at all. I never drank much before, and it's never been a big part of my life, so not drinking isn't a problem. I just wondered what the 1.5 glasses I've had could've done or if another glass later on down the road could hurt. But everyone makes a very valid point, especially about the bacteria thriving. I have no doubts about the liver, either. I just wonder about the brain tissue. If it's permanent, etc. And also, why it made me feel so good the next day, like I had newfound energy and better spirits. ... hmm...

Things to think about!

Sidenote: I wish this forum would start holding an annual get together so we could all meet each other, but could you imagine that ever happening, what with all the expenses we all are facing??

Since we can't do that, I started a YouTube vlog and wondered if any of you have any Vlogs? And - am I allowed to share the link here?

i just got home from a social friday night with a few drinks. i hardly drink anymore because it affects me so different than it used to. before alcohol would make me feel calm and happy... now it makes me feel edgy sloppy and weird. however i seem to tolerate wine better than other stuff.

I watched my Dads brain melt awayfrom drinking beer every day because heWas in so much pain and anxiety from lyme.

You are lucky enough to have found a doctor who had lyme and is acknowledging you have it. I would do what ever your doc says.20 yrs of doctors . DEC. 2009 tested positive for lyme, bartonella, ehrichiosis, HHPV6, chlamadyal pneumonia .parasites :strongylides, diaoebia fragialis, hook worm.

I want to apologize.. I don't think my question is very clear at this point. I'm not asking you guys if I can drink. +I'm happy to do as my doc says. The thing I'd like to know is if it is true that alcohol is a gateway for Lyme bacteria to reach the brain, thus eating away the brain tissue & if it is permanent damage. I am not educated in this area of science, so I don't know if the brain repairs itself afterward or not. I have never had an addictive personality. In fact, I quit caffeine & sugar in 2004, looooong before I knew I had Lyme. I became vegetarian in 2000. I love consumption discipline. I'm better at it than anyone I know. I'd just like to know if it is true - what my Lymie friend told me. And if so, if this is permanent damage that has been caused by 1.5 very sparse drinks.

If 1.5 glasses of wine consumed while a person had Lyme disease led to irreparable damage, I would be totally brain dead!!! And my husband would be in way worse shape than that.

Honestly, I had Lyme disease for decades before treatment and was drinking and have done some drinking while being treated. I found it helped with the panic and anxiety and preferred using it to taking pharmaceuticals. I'm not drinking alcohol at the moment because I'm on flagyl and have no interest in finding out how sick that would make me (they say it is a very violent reaction)!

As I understand it, alcohol is thought to slow down the healing process and suppress the immune system. The bacteria thrives on sugar, but all food is broken down into sugars so the body can use it for energy. A lot f people feel that a Lyme patient will heal faster if they don't use alcohol.

Mostly I limit my alcohol intake so I don't make myself feel any worse than I do as well as to avoid problems with yeast overgrowth.Co-Moderator Lyme Disease Forum

Thanks, achievinggrace! You sound very level headed about this subject. I hear so many different things from different people in their experiences with alcohol. From one person, I hear that it increases your chance of having Alzheimer's; from someone else, I hear brain tumors; etc. (when discussing the effects on the brain). I, too, found that it helped with the stress/anxiety (especially after our home+cars were destroyed & our lives were nearly taken - I needed that 1/2 a drink!)...

Like so many other things involving Lyme, it seems what works or doesn't work for one person may have the opposite effect on another.

Ktpie said "Like so many other things involving Lyme, it seems what works or doesn't work for one person may have the opposite effect on another."

You are right there!!! and it seems to pertain to all things Lyme, and Bartonella, and Babesia....

What we don't know is whether or not those other people had some underlying condition that wasn't known about that may have triggered those brain tumors, etc. Since Lyme mimics Alzheimer's, ALS and 298 other things (literally) those can't be considered as coming from having had a little alcohol.

~I guess it's confession time - Giggle!! I drank - quite heavily a few times - over the decades that I have had tick-borne infections. It actually helped with a number of things for me, including helping with my intestinal cramping. The main reason I don't drink now is that I now know that my liver is struggling to keep up the good work!

To say that having a few drinks while you have Lyme or any other TBI will cause you to have serious brain issues (tumors & such) is like saying that having just 1 cigarette will cause you to die very soon of lung cancer!! It won't be the one cigarette that you had that caused that, it would be the other exposures to dangerous materials that you breathed in!!

My opinions on drinking and why I don't drink hardly any more are almost identical to Springsjean's & Achievinggrace's. I'm trying to heal, and I don't want to feel that bad any more!!Co-Moderator, Lyme Disease ;)

Treating with Acupuncture, Traditional & Modern Chinese Medicine & Western Herbs. Before tx, I had all but 20 of the symptoms on the "Master Symptom List"